OCR Text |
Show l ! ! ' GsnsftBMooini ism v sterday was National StutionDay.no shown '7e calendars as Ci- YEARS AGO the Con-Zm Con-Zm the United States ",signed. It is the very ,rt it our freedom and t 'ZL Some of us feel that Declaration of Indepen- jfvras all we have, but ..:ution Day climaxes months of setting JLjer a set of rules that preserve our mdepen- Congress had labored Ji mars to develop a code -nude the Government of L people of all the states ,and those that would e into the Union for all I to come. Can we say it I God inspired? Yes! ; ire DIRECTING power of has been shown many ; ,,s since the urge was ' jsented by that greatest of , signers, Benjamin :jn. While his resolution s never formally adopted, ; positive prayer was that ang force which unified Unrence D.Wilde said the st powerful figure in the Titling of the constitution ns Benjamin Franklin. His ster was more manifest ause he was inspired of jj tfwwgh prayer. I AM SURE if a show of ' ads was called for that sst of you here would slide the constitution with x Declaration of Independent, Indepen-dent, yet they are definitely Ksrate subjects. How can ! ibr include our various items i j reskjm into a declaration imliaty status? in us think of this Consti-ti Consti-ti : -jin as a document of itrjttivileges each citizen of nsti 3 mtion enjoys. Let us try rsisi nd determine the freedoms i s i jmded therein that are for id sccand every one of us. . Ibt 1T US FEEL within our t. hearts the effort that is Bi' sie by our Congress to pro-ifu:' pro-ifu:' x them against all opposing opposi-ng -.mtether it be distur- bizss within or agression ijre in the middle of a' Kjacal campaign to elect ffgivemment leadership. J ViiBuwe vote but that who Issrassful will be inspired God to hold this freedom Constitution) sacred, that this land will always be a land of freedom. THE LORD peopled the old world and established his purposes for his children here in the earth; but He also preserved this land where these purposes coujd be operated to fulfill all of his desires. The Book of Mormon quotes that this is a land, a choice land, choice above all other lands and they who possess it must keep the commandments command-ments of God or be utterly destroyed. How can we determine deter-mine if this is a God-chosen land? WE MUST go back to the great reformation and recognize recog-nize Martin Luther, Knox, Calvin, and others who had courage to break away from the dominance of the great church and state of Rome. These men are those who set the foundations for great colonizing of this country. Stalwarts? Yes. And. those followers who came here were fearless people who had courage to break away from the dominance of both church and state and who wanted freedom from such. America was colonized by these stalwarts stal-warts and as soon as they became strong enough they held to their desire to worship God without fear and also cast off the dominance of the governmental powers who still held them under subjection. subjec-tion. JUST 34 years after the signing of the Constitution, the Lord chose a young boy from one of these hardy families and through him (Joseph Smith). He established es-tablished His church here in this chosen land. President David 0. McKay said at the dedication of the London Temple that Zion couldn't be confined to a local location but that the entire world is Zion. That Zion is where the Lord's work is in full operation. WHEN I was a small boy I bore my testimony in a Sunday Sun-day School class that I knew the gospel was true. I am sure that testimony was what my mother and many teachers had taught me. But now my testimony is based on the accomplishments ac-complishments of that boy prophet. 14 years of age when he first had the great vision-at vision-at a time when his body was physically undergoing a great change. Four years later he was visited by the Angel Moroni. Once a year he had a repeat visitation and at age 22 he received the plates for translating the Book of Mormon. Mor-mon. At age 24 he organized the church. IN THAT 2 years time he translated the Book of Mormon Mor-mon and received 17 revelations revela-tions which are recorded in the D&C. In the next five years 91 more of these revelations were given. In 24 years from the first visitation of the Father and Son, he set in motion all the necessary machinery for God's work here. He sealed his testimony with his blood, at age 39. President Stephen L Richards stated in the Logan Temple that he left enough to save and exalt mankind in the celestial kingdom if we keep the commandments that govern such a reward. GOD BLESS us one and all with an understanding of these commandments and power to live them fully. |